Phaedra in the ancient sources

Ancient Sources / Figures / Phaedra

29 passages from 6 ancient authors that tell of Phaedra, in the original with English translation, author by author in the order the Greeks read them. Phaedra was the daughter of King Minos and Queen Pasiphae of Crete, in Greek mythology.She was the wife of Theseus, but she fell in love with her hu... For the story in one place, read our article on Phaedra.

Homer (1)

Homer, Odyssey 11.225–332The women of oldPersephone sends up the ghosts of the women who were wives and daughters of heroes, and Odysseus questions each in turn. He sees Tyro, Antiope, Alcmene, Megara, Epicaste, Chloris, Leda, Iphimedeia, Phaedra, Procris, Ariadne, Maera, Clymene and Eriphyle. He then breaks off, saying that the night is late.

Apollodorus (2)

Apollodorus, The Library (Bibliotheca), with the Epitome E.1.1–24Theseus and the Minotaur; Daedalus, Phaedra and PirithousThe Epitome picks up Theseus' labours with the sow of Crommyon and goes on through Sciron, Cercyon and Damastes, after which he reaches Athens and Medea's plot against him fails. With Ariadne's clue he kills the Minotaur, and Ariadne is left on Naxos for Dionysus; Aegeus leaps to his death when he sees the black sail. The section then follows Daedalus and Icarus and Minos's death in Sicily, Theseus's Amazon wife and Phaedra's passion for Hippolytus, the Centauromachy, Helen's abduction, and Theseus's capture in Hades and death on Scyros.
Apollodorus, The Library (Bibliotheca), with the Epitome 3.1.1–4Europa, Minos and the birth of the MinotaurZeus takes the form of a bull and carries Europa from Phoenicia to Crete, where she bears Minos, Sarpedon and Rhadamanthys, while her brothers Cadmus, Phoenix and Cilix, with Telephassa and Thasus, settle in distant lands. The three sons quarrel over Miletus, and Minos marries Pasiphae and has his children. Minos wins the kingdom by praying for a bull from Poseidon and then sacrificing another; Poseidon makes the bull savage and makes Pasiphae fall in love with it, so that with Daedalus's wooden cow she bears the Minotaur, shut up in the Labyrinth.

Euripides (20)

Euripides, Hippolytus 313–352bFirst episode: Phaedra confesses her love for HippolytusThe Nurse clings to Phaedra's knees until she speaks. Phaedra says that her hands are pure but her soul is stained, and then cries out for her mother's love for the bull and for her sister, the bride of Dionysus, and says that she is the third to suffer. When the Nurse guesses that it is Hippolytus, Phaedra answers that it was the Nurse, not she, who spoke his name.
Euripides, Hippolytus 482–524Second episode: the Nurse offers a cure; Phaedra yieldsThe Chorus says that the Nurse gives the better counsel, but Phaedra thinks that such smooth words are the ruin of cities and houses and rejects the proposal as shameful. The Nurse then says that she has charms that will cure her, and Phaedra, who is afraid, finally lets her try, but makes her promise not to say a word of it to Theseus' son.
Euripides, Hippolytus 669–731Third episode: Phaedra turns on the Nurse and resolves to diePhaedra laments that women have no arts or arguments left, and tells the Chorus that she is undone. She curses the Nurse as a traitress to her friends, and the Nurse admits her fault but says that she wished to save her. Phaedra bids her be silent, makes the Chorus swear by Artemis not to reveal her secrets, and says that she has found one way out of her trouble, and that Hippolytus will learn from her misfortune.
Euripides, Hippolytus 215–266First episode: Phaedra raves of hunting, then covers her shamePhaedra cries that she wants to go to the mountain and the pine woods, to hunt with the dogs and to throw the javelin, and prays to Artemis. The Nurse asks why she raves, and Phaedra suddenly recovers, ashamed at what she has said, and asks to be covered. The Nurse covers her, and wishes for death herself, and says that men should not form attachments that are too deep.
Euripides, Hippolytus 267–312First episode: the Nurse presses Phaedra to speakThe Chorus asks the Nurse what she has learned, and she says that Phaedra has had no food for three days and will not speak. The Nurse begs her to be gentle and to let her find some better course, and warns her that if she dies she betrays her children, who will lose their father's house to the Amazon's son, whom she names: Hippolytus. Phaedra cries out and begs her never to mention that man again.
Euripides, Hippolytus 525–579First choral song to Love; Phaedra listens at the doorThe Chorus sings to Love, who from the eyes brings sweet desire to the souls of those he attacks, and prays that he may not come against them in anger. It recalls Iole and Semele as victims of Aphrodite. Phaedra, standing at the door, tells the women to be silent and listens to the sounds from within the house, and the Chorus asks what mischief is on foot.
Euripides, Hippolytus 1–57Prologue: Aphrodite announces her revenge on HippolytusThe goddess Aphrodite, here called Cypris, says that she rewards those who honour her and punishes the proud, and that Hippolytus, the son of Theseus and the Amazon, scorns her and honours only Artemis. She tells how Phaedra, seeing him, was struck with love for him, and that she herself will bring about the destruction of Hippolytus, and that Phaedra too must die, for her honour. She sees Hippolytus coming from the hunt and goes.
Euripides, Hippolytus 176–214First episode: the Nurse brings the sick Phaedra outsideThe Nurse laments the troubles of mortals and brings Phaedra out into the air. Phaedra, weak and unnerved, asks to have her head raised and her limbs supported, and says that she longs for water and the shade of the poplars. The Nurse warns her not to speak such wild words in public.
Euripides, Hippolytus 581–615Third episode: Hippolytus learns of Phaedra's lovePhaedra hears the voice of Hippolytus, the son of the Amazon, who is cursing the Nurse for having brought him such a proposal, and she knows that she is lost. The Nurse begs him to keep silent about what he has heard, and he says that his tongue swore but not his mind, and that he will tell his father.
Euripides, Hippolytus 353–432First episode: Phaedra explains why she must dieThe Nurse cries out that the revelation has ruined her, and the Chorus pities Phaedra. Phaedra tells them that she has long been trying to find how to save her honour: she tried to hide her love and to master it, and when she could not, she resolved to die, so that her children will not be disgraced by her.
Euripides, Hippolytus 433–481Second episode: the Nurse argues that love must be yielded toThe Nurse, changing her mind, tells Phaedra that Love is a great god whom no one can resist, and that even Zeus and Dawn were overcome by it. She says that many people are in love, and that those who are wise hide it, and tells Phaedra to give way, for there are charms that can soothe the soul.
Euripides, Hippolytus 121–175Parodos: the women of Troezen ask what ails PhaedraThe Chorus of women of Troezen sings of a rock from which dew drips and of the river where the queen washes her clothes, and tells how they have heard that Phaedra is ill and has lain for three days without food. They guess that she may be possessed by a god, or troubled by news from Crete, or by some secret in her house.

8 more passages of Euripides that name Phaedra

Aristophanes (2)

Aristophanes, Thesmophoriazusae 373–530aEpisode: the women's assembly and the speech of MnesilochusThe Crieress reads out the decree of the women's council, and a First Woman rises to speak against Euripides, who has called them adulteresses, drunkards and gossips in his plays and made trouble for their private habits. A Second Woman follows, and Mnesilochus rises to speak for the poet, saying that he has told far less than he knew of women's ways and listing the tricks they play on their husbands. The chorus express their outrage.
Aristophanes, Frogs 1014–1052Agon: the poets as teachers of menAeschylus says that the poets of old taught men: Orpheus gave them rites, Musaeus healing, Hesiod farming and Homer the art of war. He says that his own Seven against Thebes made men eager for battle, and contrasts his heroes with Euripides' Phaedras and Stheneboeas. Euripides asks whether his tale of Phaedra was untrue, and Aeschylus answers that such tales should be hidden from the stage.

Diodorus Siculus (1)

Diodorus Siculus, Library of History, Books 4 to 6 (the Greek myths) 4.59.1–4.63.5TheseusThe historian tells of Theseus' birth at Troezen and his labours against the robbers on the road to Athens, then of the Minotaur: Minos' war over the death of Androgeos, the tribute of youths, Ariadne's help, and Theseus' union of the Attic demes into one city. He adds the story of Phaedra and Hippolytus and the exploits of Peirithoüs, including the abduction of Helen and the descent to Hades.

Pausanias (3)

Pausanias, Description of Greece 1.22.1–8Athens: Propylaea, Wingless Victory and the picture gallery of the AcropolisBelow the Acropolis are the temple of Themis, the barrow of Hippolytus with the Troezenian version of Phaedra’s love, and shrines of Vulgar Aphrodite, Earth and Green Demeter. Pausanias describes the single approach, the white marble Propylaea and the temple of Wingless Victory, where Aegeus is said to have thrown himself down. In the chamber of pictures he lists Polygnotus’ paintings of Diomede, Ulysses, Orestes and Polyxena, a portrait of Musaeus, and Hermes and the Graces by Socrates.
Pausanias, Description of Greece 10.29.1–10Delphi: Polygnotus' painting of the underworld (2): Indolence, Ariadne, Phaedra, Theseus and PirithousPausanias continues the underworld painting with the comrades of Ulysses bringing black rams, the figure of Indolence plaiting a rope eaten by a she-ass, and Tityus. He describes Ariadne and Phaedra, with the account of Dionysus and the bridge at Zeugma, then Chloris, Thyia, Procris, Clymene, Megara and Eriphyle. Near them are Elpenor, Ulysses at the trench with Tiresias and Anticlea, and Theseus and Pirithous seated with their swords.
Pausanias, Description of Greece 2.32.1–10Troezen: Hippolytus’ precinct, the acropolis and the roads from the cityPausanias describes the precinct of Hippolytus with its temple, annual rites and offerings of maidens’ hair, the stadium and the temple of Peeping Aphrodite above it, Phaedra’s myrtle and tomb. He then covers the temple of Athena Sthenias on the acropolis, the sanctuary of Pan the Deliverer, temples of Isis and Aphrodite of the Height, the rock of Theseus, and sanctuaries of Poseidon and Demeter. He ends with the harbour, Genethlium, the twisted olive and the sanctuary of Saronian Artemis.